Maybe Yale Does Not Practice Affirmative Action

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
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they have a ridiculous number of extraordinarily well-qualified, smart people to choose from--it stands to reason that they'd want as many different viewpoints as possible.

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<p>^i very much agree</p>

<p>also, collegehopefull, reading your arguments I am almost propelled to say that you live in a bubble (but i know that that is probably not true). i used to think the way you do but circumstances changed it. </p>

<p>let's say theoretically that university entrance ran exactly as you stated. do you realistically believe that everything would magically fall in place? that the people you would encounter in class everyday for four years would be the same people you would meet outside in the real world for the rest of your life?</p>

<p>be honest with yourself.</p>

<p>i like your train of thought but the problem is that your ideas are too idealistic for this age; this country has not reached there yet. yes, we've made large leaps in closing the gaps between the 'haves' and 'have-nots' but that schism is still too broad and deep to jump across. small steps are the way to go, especially if we're dealing with a very sensitive but major issue.</p>

<p>tread softly...</p>

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The point I have tried to make, many times, is that the criteria for admission into a school should be purely academic.

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<p>that would make the admissions process purely numeric. only the top of the top (in money, mostly) would make it and they are usually those kids with the best test prep tutors, money to afford admissions coaches, etc....personality, hardships, etc would not be taken into account. in your world, even YOU wouldn't make it.</p>

<p>i have two question for you, though, and forgive me if i'm wrong or misconstrue your ideas in anyway. are you saying that some of the students that yale accepts are not qualified in someway? should SATs and "pure academics" be the only measure of one's intelligence or qualifications?</p>

102

<p>AA is not limited to african americans alone. they stretch out to women and groups of people that historically have had and still have limited socioeconomic or political power in relation to their white male peers (excuse my generalizations but you guys know what i mean).</p>

<p>AA is definitely not hindering asians, and if it is, it must be minute, because asians are indeed prospering and reaping from their rewards. asians represent a dominant socioeconomic group as well as a dominant force in american academic institutions while being less than 5% of the U.S. population (one-third of blacks).</p>

<p>when i see asian people succeed, i see a thriving and rich group and a model for other minorities to follow. they still get discriminated against but many of the asian groups stick close within their own communities to push each other so as to counter said discrimination. many other minority groups haven't completely found their footing in the u.s. (despite some being here how many odd years) and many other minority groups are still trying to find their own identity.</p>

<p>AA gives those "less-than-perfect" minorities (not to say that asians are perfect) an opportunity to balance out their lives and see themselves clearly, perhaps for the very first time.</p>

<p><em>i use asians as an example because someone (or quite a few of you) mentioned how being asian hurt you in AA. if it weren't for AA, asian americans wouldn't have had the opportunity to shine as they do now to begin with</em></p>

<p>(once again, sorry for the generalizations. just wanted to get my points across.)</p>

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<p>Okay since people seem to be saying that socioeconomic status is more important than ethnicity, I'll use two friends I have as an example. Their families are both quite poor, making below $50,000 a year. One is Asian, the other is Mexican.</p>

<p>The Asian one has been constantly pushed to succeed. He has been pushed to study constantly, pushed to become involved in a variety of activities. He was signed up for SAT classes, even though his family shouldn't be able to afford them. He's achieved straight A's and a 2380 SAT and been involved in a variety of things.</p>

<p>The Mexican one has never really been encouraged to study hard or succeed. He works multiple jobs at once to support his parents. He believed that the only way out of his economic situation was through athletics, and so has spent a ton of time becoming a top soccer player. He has near-perfect grades (a couple of B's) and an 1850 SAT score, with no preparation.</p>

<p>The culture is an important thing to consider as well. My Mexican friend had never considered that he might be able to apply to a top school like Yale or Stanford until I started encouraging him. In that culture, Ivy League-caliber schools just aren't thought of. They seem like some sort of alien entity, unattainable, reserved for the white elite. My Asian friend was built toward attending a top school from the beginning because his parents knew that that was important to his becoming successful.</p>

<p>In my opinion at least, my Mexican friend is more deserving of a spot at a top school. I honestly have no clue how he keeps everything together. Everything he's achieved, he's achieved as a result of his own personal ability and his own internal drive. I think he would bring a very different perspective to a top school than the usual one and would have a lot to contribute. </p>

<p>I'm Mexican as well, but my family's income is significantly above my friends' families'. Still, I have had nowhere near the same life my Asian friend has. I have never been pushed toward anything. I was never even really encouraged to go to college. Everything I've done, I've done of my own volition, with my own willpower. Again, it's just a different culture. I might be biased, but I think it's more telling if a student does things on his own, rather than at the encouragement of his family; I think it's more impressive if a student does things for himself, not for college.</p>

<p>I hope I've expressed my thoughts at least somewhat clearly. I agree with affirmative action, although I look forward to the day that it's not necessary.</p>

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In my opinion at least, my Mexican friend is more deserving of a spot at a top school.

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<p>i wouldn't say more deserving...that sounds too antagonistic (even though you may not mean it). both candidates are deserving, i believe. neither can control being born into their respective cultures. however, because of their cultures, one is more likely to go farther than the other. it is neither's fault anyway, but the one at the disadvantage may need the extra boost from the outside.</p>

<p>think of it like making ramps for those who use wheelchairs. the goal is to accommodate everyone.</p>

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<p>Yeah they are both deserving, I agree with that. I'm just more impressed by him because he achieves a lot while working at two jobs and spending around 50 hours a week on club soccer, in addition to being a 12-letter athlete for our school.</p>

<p>Ah, if only they could accept everyone who deserves to be there, though.</p>